Former Aetna CEO says he’d eliminate employer-sponsored insurance to fix the U.S. healthcare industry in wake of UnitedHealthcare shooting

Mark Bertolini is mid-sentence. He is in front of a blue screen with yellow writing on it. (Credit: Wes Bruer/Bloomberg—Getty Images)

• Mark Bertolini, former Aetna CEO and current chief executive of Oscar Health, said Americans’ frustration with insurance systems is justified. Employer-sponsored health insurance, which insured over 160 million Americans, has lost some of its efficacy because companies have less leverage with insurers to lower premiums. Instead, employees should choose their own plans from a marketplace, where Oscar has positioned itself to target individuals uninsured by their employers.

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ignited a renewed wave of frustration over the U.S. healthcare system, which critics say has gained notoriety for being exorbitantly expensive while falling short at improving health outcomes. Mark Bertolini, former Aetna chair and CEO and current chief executive of Oscar Health, believes he’s found a solution to the industry’s pitfalls: the elimination of employer-sponsored health insurance.